Jim Hawkins' Journey
by gdapril25
Summary: Jim and his two best friends Jake and Pat find themselves on a voyage to find a treasure, along with the evil Long John Silver and a fiesty Kate Arrow...
1. The Map

DISCLAIMER: Yeah, I don't own anything. This is just my imagination playing with Stevenson's genius.

CHAPTER 1: The Map

There was a certain tension in the air. The tavern was filled with it yet Jim ignored it. The tension was there on occasion; for this tavern was filled with angry drunkards ready to kill his neighbor. The tension in the air mixing sickening with the smell of ale made Jim want to just run away, a feeling he had from time to time. He turned to look at his friends Jake and Pat. Jake was joking with one of the drunks and young Pat was avoiding the men at all cost.

Jim laughed quietly to himself, wondering why they were still at the Admiral Benbow. They were alone, except for Miss Anchorage, who took them in.

Pat was orphaned when he was born. Jake, well, no one knew of Jake's past, but it was rumored that his father killed his mother. Jim's father was dead. Now they all were here, serving men that were less than honorable. It made him feel less than honorable to wait on them.

A noise sounded from the far corner of the tavern. It wasn't unfamiliar; it was old Billy Bones. He always took the dark and lonely far corner, ignoring people unless to order a drink or fight. But on occasion Billy would make noises, filled with pain and anguish of a life no one knew, possibly on even Billy himself. It was unpleasant to listen to it, so the rest of the Admiral's customers simply spoke louder.

"Jim, get yourself a moving. Stop standing around!" Miss Anchorage called.

She was an old woman, most said over fifty, with long stringy gray hair and a squished in face. She was round and bulky, and wasn't ashamed. She simply ignored the comments and bullied the rest around. She was good at that, probably why she never married. She told the boys it was because she denied her suitors. Jake claimed that it was because she never had any.

Jim, waking himself from his reverie, moved along, bringing Billy another drink. He nodded his head in a solemn way and glared into the fire. Jim knew that the most regular customer was saying without words that he wanted to left alone. Jim walked into the kitchen and found Pat.

"Billy needs his drink," Pat mumbled,

"I already go him his drink. Don't worry." Jim noticed how tense Pat was. The boy was only twelve, six years Jim's junior and five years Jake's junior. Yet, it seemed every time a fight was about to go down the boy knew. Jim took Pat's warning and motioned for Jake, who was still talking to an old seadog.

"Jake, Pat's got that nervousness again."

"So? That kid's strange. Now will you let me got back and talk to One-Eyed Joe?"

Jim, hesitantly, let him go back, but still was concerned. The tension in the air was thickening.

It was three hours later. All the lagging drunks were driven out my Miss Anchorage and a broom. Money was left behind which Miss Anchorage quickly snatched up. The boy's table scraps were their only supper and they ate greedily. After eating Jake and Pat went up the stairs to retire for the evening, but Jim stayed behind to sweep up.

He had only started to sweep when a deep, raspy voice called out, "Jim, get me rum."

It startled Jim so much he jumped and dropped the broom. "Mister, mister Bones?"

"Jimmy. Get me some rum!"

His voice was booming and Jim did as commanded. Billy drank it down in one gulp. Jim was terrified. He had thought the tavern was empty. Billy Bones looked up at Jim. In a softer, but nonetheless raspy, voice he said, "Jim. Ye know that I've come to think of ye like my own son. But, something is wrong. I feel it in the air."

Jim nodded, not knowing what to say. True, he had felt it before as well, but he had thought it only of a fight between customers. Billy was making it out as much more.

"Lad, a man gave me this today." He pointed to a piece of paper on the table. On it, Jim saw an ink spot. He had no idea what I was. "Jim, the man was an old shipmate of mine."

Jim knew that Billy had been a high ranking sailor. But he had never heard any stories; Billy never told any.

"But, what is it-"

"Look at it lad! Look at it! Don't you see? It's the black spot!" In a quieter voice he repeated, "The black spot."

Jim's eyes widened. So this was a black spot! The thing his father told him of years before. He swallowed hard before he could think of what it meant: Death.

Jim looked at Billy in awe. The man was quiet, even though he knew that he was going to be killed. "Mr. Bones, we have to get you out of here." Jim tried to pull him up. "You can take the back stairs out to the alley and then behind the town…"

Billy shook his head. "Lad, I'm too old to be doing this anymore. Maybe… maybe ten years ago. But now, it's too late."

"Mr. Bones! Really! We can get you out of here!"

"No." Billy stood and walks slowly to a chest behind his table. "Jim, I want you to have something. I need to give it to you now, before they come. And they will come. Here," he pulled an ancient parchment, tied with fraying string, "take this and promise me that ye will care for it." Jim nodded hesitantly. "But," Billy continued, "you must leave now. You, and Jake and the boy. If you stay they will kill you along with me."

"But, Mr. Bones…" He could hear shouting from somewhere outside. The murderers were coming.

"NOW!" he screamed. Jim, not knowing what was about to happen, ran up the stairs to wake up Jake and Pat. Without an explanation he dragged them to the door of the tavern and shoved them out. He turned to look at Billy, but the man was facing the fire, in deep thought.

Jim, Jake and Pat ran as far from the Admiral Benbow as they could. It wasn't until they reached the town that Jim stopped them. "What the hell was that about?" Jake huffed out in between breaths.

"Billy Bones…black spot…this." Jim produced the parchment and showed it to them. Pat eyed it carefully.

"Are you saying that Billy Bones gave you this?"

"Yes," Jim said. It was only a moment after when they heard the cries of pirates. The blaze of the fire that burned the Admiral Benbow was bright, even from the distant town. Jim, Jake and Pat stood in an alley way, away from the running townsfolk that hurried to the tavern to put out the blaze.

Jake stared in astonishment. Pat stared in confusion. Jim, trying not to think about the loss of his home, the only place any of them had to go, untied the string and slowly opened the parchment. "Um, Jake, Pat?" They ignored him. "Fellows, I think this is a map. A treasure map."

They both stared at Jim.


	2. The Ship

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _Not sure if anyone is reading it. The first chapter was kind of slow, but I promise it will get better…._

Disclaimer: Don't own, wish did.

Chapter 2: The Ship

It was a cold morning. The last thing Jim could remember was sounds of screaming men, yelling at each other about the flames that destroyed the Admiral Benbow. The smell of pigs woke him up; they were in a pig pen. How they got there was beyond him.

Wiping dirt from his face, Jim opened his eyes. He saw Pat lying next to him, but he couldn't see Jake anywhere. Not wanting to, he woke up Pat and he sat up. "Good morning, lad," Jim said quietly.

"Where…where are we?" Pat's face scrunched into a confused look, trying to decipher his position and why he was there.

"We are sleeping with the pigs. What happened to Jake?" Pat shrugged and stood up. Jim stood up after him, standing a full ten inches taller. The smaller boy pushed his way through throng of pigs to a wood gate.

"Jake!" called out the boy. Jim ran through the pigs and covered Pat's mouth a second before he was going to call out the name again.

"Shhh…there might still be pirates around. We don't need any attention." Jim checked the path way on either side of him and let go of Pat. "Come on, Pat. Jake is probably in the town. You know how he cannot stand not being near a good story teller."

The boys followed the left path, mostly because the right path led right into a stable. The town was half a mile away. On the short walk Jim tried to piece together the previous night. The tavern, Miss Anchorage, closing, Billy Bones, the black spot….the map! Billy Bones! Jim looked down and saw no map in his hands.

"Pat," he whispered, for they were reaching the town and he didn't want anyone to hear. "Pat, I've lost the map."

"The map? You mean the one Billy gave you?" Jim nodded. "Oh well. It t'was nothing more than a map."

Jim thought this over. It had to be important somehow; Billy Bones sure seemed anxious about what happened to it. He gave it to Jim, didn't he? 'Maybe it isn't just a map…'

"Pat, Billy Bones told me-"

"Fellows!" a familiar voice chuckled behind them. The dirt covered duo turned around to see their friend. "You'll never guess where I have been!"

"In a river?" Jim asked. Jake wasn't dirt covered. In fact, he was clean. He obviously hadn't slept with them in the pig sty. And even if he had, he had gotten clean somehow.

"No, Jim." Jake walked over to them, until he was face to face with them. "I've been at the ship builders."

"Why?" Pat looked from each other the older boys' faces. Jake's was of pure excitement. Jim's was drawn into a frown.

"Jake, you didn't."

"Of course I did. Billy Bones gave us that map for a reason."

The map! Jim had forgotten about it after Jake had shown up. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"The map, Jake. Where is the map?"

Jake's smile doubled its size. "It's with Squire Trelawney. Strange little fellow. He wears his hat backwards." Jake chuckled a bit and continued. "Anyways, he has taken this opportunity to hire a crew and captain and we are sailing to the island."

"WHAT!"

"Calm yourself, there. Jim, Pat. We are going on an adventure. Just like Billy Bones used to!"

"Yes, well, Billy is dead now isn't he?" Pat quipped.

"Oh, forget about him lad. Don't you want to set sail, smell the sea air and find the treasure?"

"Quiet, Jake." Jake stopped and looked over at Jim. "All right then, who knows about the treasure?"

"Well, certainly the Squire. All though he seemed lost in his own head, talking to himself a bit." Pat laughed, and Jim gave him a look. The boy stopped. Jake continued, "And the captain, of course. And soon the crew will. Well, they'll know about the island, not the treasure. But surely they will figure it out."

Jim sighed and paced. "I promised him I wouldn't let anything happen to it."

"Will you please calm yourself? Billy is dead; it is not like he will come after you. Besides, why leave treasure on an island when we could have it?"

Jim stopped and glared at him. "Are you telling me that the map is with the Squire and we are getting a free passage?"

"Well, not entirely free. He told me we are to be cabin boys." The gleam in Jake's eyes never wavered. Jim's eyes were dark and concerned.

After a long pause Jim looked at the two boys. He could see Jake's excitement and the growing excitement of the twelve year old. "Alright. Let's go on an adventure."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Crisp sea air whipped past Jim's face as he walked across the dock. A bulky man with an eye patch bumped him on the right and grunted. Jim swallowed hard. If he was the type of man the crew was made of then it would be a long voyage.

He had seen many of the sailors that morning. One only had one arm, another with only one foot. But they were all intimidating.

Jim searched the crowd of sailors, men shouting orders and women selling food. Somewhere was Pat and Jake. Jake had taken the youth to meet the Squire, a man Jim didn't care to meet. From what he had been told, he assumed the Squire needed to be locked up.

"Jim!" someone shouted. He turned to the noise and saw Pat already on the ship. He and Jake were waving from the railing.

"I'm coming!" he called back. He pushed himself through the people, once again hitting the bulky man. He grunted and carried on.

Once on the ship Jim looked around. It was a real ship, just like the ones his father told him about. Jake rushed over and slapped him on the back. "Well, mate? We're here. We're on our way to the island!"

Jim smiled. He hadn't thought this the greatest of ideas, but this was amazing. Pat was grinning from ear to ear, racing around the ship and running in the crew. Shouts came from behind the helm; Pat had run into the bulky man.

"Get the hell out!" the man yelled. Pat sheepishly walked over to the older boys.

"Jim, it's wonderful!" Jim patted his shoulders and turn around to the sound of his name.

"Jim Hawkins? Where is Jim-"

"Here, sir," the boy called. The three boys dashed to the man. "Hello. I'm Squire Trelawney. I don't believe we've meet before."

Jim began to answer but the man turned his head to the side and mouthed a few words. Jim glanced over at Jake, who was spiraling his finger against his temple. Jim nodded curtly and turned back. "Yes, sir. I'm Jim Hawkins."

The Squire turned back and nodded. "Well, then. The crew is about ready and the captain is in his quarters getting ready to set sail." The bulky man walked behind the Squire. Without the hundreds of people milling around him Jim could see that the man was wearing an officer's outfit. "Oh, Mr. Arrow. This is wonderful. I would like you to meet the cabin boys: Jim Hawkins, Jake Smith and Pat O' Haran. Mr. Arrow is our first mate."

"Aye. I've meet ye before, haven't I?" Jim and Pat looked down and Jake smirked.

"Sorry sir," Pat mumbled.

"Well," the first mate straightened. "I guess that if you're to be cabin boys you'll have to meet the other one."

The three boys looked up at him. "There's another boy?"

"Not exactly." Arrow shouted over his shoulder. "Kate, come here!"

Jim and Jake exchanged looks. Suddenly a body jumped down from the mast. It stood up and Jim inwardly gasped. It was a girl! And not a bad looking one either.

"Aye, mates. My name's Kate. I'm the other cabin boy."

_Any good? This is my first fic and I'm hoping it's okay. Please review!_


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